Motiva finds chemical leak to CDU of expanded Port Arthur refinery

Motiva will again have to shut down a crude distillation unit at its expanded refinery segment in Port Arthur, Texas, that had been restarted after about six months of repairs.

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By BEN LEFEBVRE

Motiva Enterprises
again will have to shut down a crude distillation unit at its expanded
refinery segment in Port Arthur, Texas, that had been restarted
following six months of repairs, a person familiar with the
refinery operations said Tuesday.

Motiva originally commissioned the CDU - the first step in
the oil refining process - in May as the
culmination of a $10 billion refineryexpansionproject that added 325,000 bpd of
capacity and made the refinery the largest in the
US.

The unit was shut down days after following a chemical leak
into the CDU that corroded much of its piping.

After six months of repair, Motiva began the restart process
of the CDU last week but shut it down after a small mechanical
fire started at the unit. Workers have now found evidence of
chemicals once again leaking into the unit, the person
said.

Repairing the unit will keep it idle until Friday or Saturday,
the person added.

The Port Arthur refinery has a total capacity of 600,000 bpd,
making it one of the 10 largest in the world. Motiva, a
partnership of Saudi Arabian Oil Co. and Royal Dutch Shell, is
still able to operate the original refinery
segment.

Motiva will still produce fuels using other units at the
refinery, said company spokeswoman Kimberly Windon.

"While this unit is an important part of the Motiva Port
Arthur Refinery operations, we continue to operate other units
within the refinery, making gasoline and other
products to meet customer needs," Ms. Windon said.

Dow Jones Newswires

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